What are those….Pimples? #49

My last PET/CT was a good one. NO NEW LESIONS PRESENT! My lesions in my T-2, T-10 and T-6 have resolved (means scarred over). The lesions riddles throughout my pelvis are unchanged and the 2 big lesions in each hip socket do not glow as brightly. So Abraxane is working!!

In September, I sat on a Palliative Care Panel for the Nevada Cancer Coallition Cancer Summit at UNR. It was a very informative panel between me, the patient, a palliative care provider and a local healthcare facility building a palliative care program. However during lunch came the biggest surprise when I recieived the Excellence in Advocacy Award. The award is in recognition of my leadership and dedication to championing policies on behalf of those with cancer in Nevada. It is such an honor to be recognized! Thank You NCC!

So, I moved on with weekly chemo, getting closer to my week off because it was Oyster Time! The oyster trip that had been planned for a couple months! I was so excited and because The Blood Guy knows how I have been looking forward to it and that I eat the raw ones asked me to pop in for a quick CBC before we left town. Wanted to make sure my count was high enough. Got chemo on Friday, October 9th, had a mellow boxing class on Saturday and by Saturday night, though exhausted, I had a patch of pimples at the top of my neck, right over my spine. They didn’t itch or hurt. I didn’t think anything of it and just slathered on my pimple cream for a couple days. That didn’t work so then I thought maybe I got bit by something and used OTC cortisone cream. That didn’t work but by now I was seeing The Blood Guy for my quick CBC. He took one look and said, “You have shingles.” WHAT?!?! How did that happen? “….And your cell counts are ridiculously low, (ANC .8 and white count 1.0) so you’re getting a Neupogen shot today and tomorrow if necessary.” Ummmmm…… okay. I was shocked. They didn’t hurt…. really, felt more like red ants biting but that doesn’t hurt me, just annoying. I started Acyclovir right away. That Wednesday night another small patch showed up over my left collar bone. Thankfully I was on medication already so that patch was essentially gone in a couple days. The ones on the back of my neck lasted another week thus keeping me from getting chemo.

But it didn’t stop me from going to oyster weekend in Dillon Beach, CA! So much fun and so needed to get out of town. My friends are amazing, I love them so much and we truly had the best time!